Northwest meets with pilots over 'absenteeism' as cancellations mount

Northwest Airlines said yesterday it is "informally meeting" with its pilots union in an effort to resolve a "staffing issue" that has led to numerous flight cancellations (ATWOnline, June 26). The carrier has cancelled an average of 10.7% of its mainline flights in recent days, blaming severe weather and a "higher than normal level of pilot absenteeism." The pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn., have expressed outrage over executive bonuses received by management upon exiting ...

Settling into his new role as the head of IATA, director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac has made clear his frustration with government policies that fail to recognize the value of aviation....More

The world’s airlines will continue their streak of collective profitability in 2017, but anticipated higher costs, coupled with a sluggish global economy that lead IATA forecasters to believe next year’s industry net profit will be almost $6 billion lower than 2016’s expected profit....More